Does Peace Corps hire Americans through their local country offices as volunteers?

Question

I am in Africa looking for more volunteer opportunities. I didn't know if I had to complete the application process in order to be a volunteer if I am already in a country that has volunteers.

Answer 1

No they don’t. The main reason this is not done is because applicants cannot choose their country of service. You are welcome to apply to the PC but the application process is lengthy, and even if you select Africa as your preferred region of the world to serve in the PC still might send you to a different part of the world. Where you go in the world depends on what skills you have and the demand for those skills in the various countries around the world in which the PC serves.

Contact a PC Recruiter through www.peacecorps.gov

Answer 2

PeaceCorps chooses members through a rigourous assessment process of candidates who apply through traditional means -- where you are located does not matter, and won't have any bearing on your being a PeaceCorps member.

If you are already in Africa, try contacting local NGOs in your area, including local offices of international organizations such as Save the Children, OxFam, etc., to see what opportunities they might have that you could help with. You could also contact PeaceCorps volunteers or UN Volunteers in the area, to see if they know of initiatives with which you could be involved as a volunteer.

HOWEVER, you need to be VERY careful about what activities you engage in, and what kinds of supervision you have in such circumstances -- as an "independent" volunteer, you will have no organization who will guarentee your safety, ensure you aren't required to pay bribes, ensure you aren't wrongly accused of a crime, etc.

Answer 3

http://helpmyworld.com/aboutus.aspx